West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service has been equipped with new power boats and other kit to improve its ability to respond to serious floods.

Around £550,000 has been spent by the Fire Authority to improve equipment at fire stations including Rastrick which has been given two VW vans, a power boat and trailer.

The investment in flood response equipment will benefit not only the people of West Yorkshire should the region ever experience a repeat of the Boxing Day floods of 2015, but as a national asset the new boats could be deployed anywhere in the country.

A Kirklees Council van was washed in to the canal at Elland (Image: UGC HDE)

Chief Fire Officer John Roberts said: “While we hope the devastating Boxing Day floods of 2015 never happen again we are better prepared to deal with the consequences.

“We have previously deployed crews to other areas of the country such as Cumbria and Wiltshire when they have been overcome by flooding and these new assets will enhance our ability to support fellow fire and rescue services in a major flood incident.”

The Calder river floods at Elland (Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Chairman of the Fire and Rescue Authority, Almondbury Clr Judith Hughes said: “The Fire Service has undertaken a considerable amount of work since the 2015 floods to review its flood response capability and work with partners to carry out training exercises with our counterparts in local authority emergency planning teams.”

The Boxing Day floods of 2015 devastated areas of West Yorkshire and tested the Fire Service with 92 flood-related incidents and 117 rescues carried out – mostly in the Leeds and Calderdale areas.

Halifax MP Holly Lynch said: “As the Shadow Floods Minister I welcome this important investment which will ensure that our communities are better protected against future flooding. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were instrumental in delivering the rescue and clean-up operations during the 2015 Boxing Day Floods and this new range of equipment will enable them to respond to a wider range of incidents. I will be working in Westminster to ensure other fire and rescue services are similarly equipped.”